TRAVELHotNews.com Magazine

AWARDS OF MERIT 2008 - VOTING BEGINS

It's time to vote for your favourite companies and people for 2008! Voting continues until Jan. 25
It's a new year and it's time to vote for the Awards of Merit 2008 at TRAVELHotNews.com! Vote for your favourite companies and people for 2008 and salute all of your colleagues who have made great achievements for the year. Voting begins today and will continue until Jan. 25, 2009, when all the winners will be announced on Feb. 12, 2009 at the Toronto Addison Show. Vote today! [Full text and pictures]

SUNQUEST�S 2-WEEK SPECIAL

Sunquest announces two-week �Best Prices of the Season� sale

Effective Jan. 3, 2009, Sunquest is bringing back its �Best Prices of the Season� campaign featuring new low price points across the majority of its product. Applicable on dates from January through to April, where available, prices start from $497 plus tax for a seven-night, all-inclusive stay (double occupancy). Some examples of Toronto sale prices include: $497 for the Celluisma Paraiso Tropical Cabarete in Puerto Plata; $597 for the Great Parnassus in Cancun; $697 for the Grand Paradise Samana; $897 for the Riu Santa Fe in Los Cabos; and $997 for the Gran Bahia Principe Jamaica. [Full text and pictures]

SIGNATURE & BLUE BAY INCENTIVE

Signature, Blue Bay Hotels & Resorts ease winter blues with $100 savings

Blue Bay Villas Doradas

Signature Vacations wants your clients to take away the winter blues by saving $100 at Blue Bay Hotels & Resorts this year. Book your client�s vacation to either the Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda in Mexico or the Blue Bay Villas Doradas in the Dominican Republic from Jan. 1 to 15, 2009 for travel Feb. 1 to Jun. 30, 2009 to take advantage of this particular offer. Blue Bay Hotels offer your clients beachfront locations in the Riviera Maya and Puerto Plata. Savings of $100 are per couple, per week and based on double occupancy in the lowest room category offered. Keep reading for full details. [Full text and pictures]

CARNIVAL�S FUN4ALL SALE

�Fun4All Sale� offers best available upgrades for bookings made Jan. 5 to Jan. 23, 2009

Carnival Dream

Carnival Cruise Lines has rolled out a new sales event offering free best available upgrades on a wide variety of �Fun Ship� departures throughout 2009. The new �Fun4All� promotion is available in conjunction with virtually all three- to 12-day cruises departing through Dec. 18, 2009, including voyages to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England and Europe. To be eligible for this special offer, bookings must be made between Jan. 5-23, 2009. The new �Fun4All� sales event is capacity controlled and applies to new individual bookings for categories 4A and higher. Upgrades are available within specific stateroom accommodation types. [Full text and pictures]

ENCORE�S MEGA SAIL

Encore CruiseEscapes announces January �Mega Sail� between Jan. 5 and Feb. 28, 2009, as well as January madness

Effective on all new bookings made between Jan. 5 and Feb. 28, 2009, Encore CruiseEscapes is ringing in the New Year with a January Mega Sail. Applicable to all of Encore CruiseEscapes� cruise line partners, and valid on travel anytime (2009, 2010 and 2011), for every four cabins sold with Encore CruiseEscapes air for a minimum seven-night stay, agents will earn a $100 gift card. Choose between HBC, Petro Canada, Loblaws and Sears. All four cabins must be sold to earn the gift card. Cabins do not have to be booked on the same file. This special offer applies to FIT bookings only (not applicable to groups) and is also valid on Fun Sun and Intair bookings. [Full text and pictures]

CARIBBEAN FACES CHALLENGES

Harold Lovell, Chairman, CTO

Caribbean countries expect arrivals to decline between 20 and 35 per cent, says Harold Lovell, Chairman of CTO
Charmaine Pang
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) faces considerable challenges in the first quarter of 2009, reported Travel Weekly magazine. Harold Lovell, chairman of the CTO, forecasted that visitor arrivals will decline between 20 and 35 per cent in the first quarter of the year. However, the CTO has come up with various solutions to help market and promote the Caribbean in these tough times, including an integrated regional marketing and promotion campaign, promoting inter-island travel by Caribbean nationals, and proposing a $3 levy on airline tickets that will help offset the costs of the regional marketing fund. [Full text and pictures]

ELECTRONIC VISA WAIVER UPDATE

Department of Homeland Security announces new electronic visa waiver affecting those traveling to or via U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security has announced the following changes to the United States entry regulations effective January 12, 2009. Those travelling to or via the USA must now register online at least 72 hours prior to departure to obtain an electronic travel authorization. This new electronic visa waiver affects anyone travelling to or via the USA holding a passport from one of the following countries: Andorra, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, and so on. For further information, visit https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/. [Full text and pictures]

ETIHAD ENTERS 4TH YEAR

Etihad reports increase of 72% more guests in November 2008

Going into its fourth year of operations from Toronto direct to Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways finished off with a successful 2008, surpassing six million passengers carried in 2008 - an increase of 34 per cent from 2007. As of November 2008 out of Toronto, Etihad Airways reported carrying 72 per cent more guests than 2007. The growth during 2008, Etihad�s fifth year of global operations, saw passenger numbers total 6,021,931 and the average seat factor rise from 68 per cent to 75 per cent. The airline has also taken delivery of nine new aircraft boosting its fleet to a total of 42. Capping the year, a record 20,937 passengers flew with Etihad on Friday, December 19, 2008 making it the airline�s busiest day.